Khader Adnan – Dying to live

As I write this there is a grave situation that has unfolded during the last 65 days pertaining specifically to one individual who is being held without charge or trial in what is known within the State of Israel as Administrative Detention.

Khader Adnan is a controversial character when we look at his curriculum vitae as a one time spokes person for the known terrorist organization Islamic Jihad which espouses radical and extreme viewpoints on almost every political aspect of Israel – Palestine.

However what we are saying as a society is that despite the contentious issues surrounding this individual in terms of his background, he is still a Human Being like every single one of us and as such entitled to the same basic human rights and treatment as any of us fundamentally demand and recieve if we ever suffer a similar situation of administrative detention.

This is a fundamental value to display as it shifts the focus away from the propaganda which at present sets out in a format that provides excuses for the disgraceful abuses on his human rights by the state of Israel.

In an attempt at keeping us debating and deliberating as to whether a member of Islamic Jihad deserves humane treatment, a fair trial or even our attention to begin with the State of Israel and its supporters try to shut us up on this issue by continuously mentioning the known and condemned terrorism of Islamic Jihad. A tactic which if we are honest is a disgraceful ruse to further dehumanize this one person in the eyes of the international community.

I firmly believe that focus on this individual and his case should not be ignored or squandered. Not only because he is denied his human rights and right to a fair trial in a judicial system that is respecting of his rights rights but also because there are countless others who have never been members of groups like Islamic Jihad who are treated in similar or even worse ways to Khader Adnan by the Israeli Military “justice” system.

The Israeli Human rights NGO B’tselem reports that at the end of December 2011 there were just under 4300 Palestinians in the custody of the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) 307 of these are held without trial or charge under Administrative Detention.
To go back to Khader Adnan I would like to state that yes it is a very touchy subject to mention the words Hunger Strike in Northern Ireland, in fact already some groups have began trying to draw parallels between local figures who were on hunger strike here to that of Khader Adnan – we feel as a society this is not helpful as it does not focus on the Key points of the matter at hand and it also detracts from Khader’s case because it draws up emotive local issues which then removes focus. It also must be said that everyone from all communities should feel capable of condemning the state of Israel for its actions regarding Mr. Adnan!

At present the facts are these:

Khader Adnan is on his 64th day of Hunger Strike demanding to either be released or put on trial thus being formally charged with a crime – He has been held against his will in administrative detention for over two months which is only 1/3rd of the time Israel can hold him under such detention laws without having to renew the order.

He is chained physically to a bed and has been mistreated, interrogated and tortured mercilessly to a great extent by those who guard him while only being given access to the most persistent NGO’s and medical personnel that come forward to help him.

Countless human rights NGO’s including several Israeli groups have condemned the State of Israel for its treatment of not only Khader Adnan but also for its continued use of Administrative detention.

The request to have a court date brought forward has been rejected, then reconsidered and it is unclear what is going on with this process at all.

As a society we are asking everyone who reads this publication to look at the sources that we are attaching so that you can speak up about Khader Adnan and the bigger picture he now represents.

We ask you to send letters and emails to your local representatives here in Northern Ireland who despite thoughts to the contrary still have a voice which does matter in the international sphere.

Emphasise the fact that his Human Rights are being violated and that it doesn’t matter who he is or what he has done he still deserves humane treatment and a fair trial. His associations to certain abhorrent groups are immaterial to his Human Rights and if Israel have a case against him they should charge him and take him to court or else release him.

Every one of us have a voice that we can use to help Khader Adnan by writing to the local press or even writing to the State of Israel itself.

Our MLA’s sometimes think that it is not worth getting involved in these discussions however we would say that MLA’s and our MP’s to Westminister have the ability to, and should indeed speak out as they do and can sway public opinion.

Addameer and Physicians for Human Rights (Both Israeli NGO’s) have set out a list of requests: